For the past thirty five years geographers have systematically engaged with radical and critical theory to examine and expose uneven, unequal, exploitative and oppressive socio-spatial and environmental relations. By drawing on and developing different theoretical traditions — such as Marxism, feminism, and poststructuralism — they have shared an ideological commitment to challenge injustices and seek positive change. More recently, however, many have started to question the extent to which radical/critical geographers actually do make a difference beyond the academy; whether they really are changing the situation on the ground for everyday people in everyday places. The works in this volume examine this contention and investigate how radical/critical geographies might proceed. Drawing on their own experiences of seeking to ground radical theory through critical praxis, the contributors vibrantly explore the role of the academic in society; the relevance and meaning of 'making a difference' beyond the academy; the relationship between academic praxis and activism; and the neo-liberal threat to enacting certain kinds of critical praxis.

Radical Theory/Critical Praxis is an essential read for academics and students ideologically committed to challenging and transforming the status quo. More generally, however, the book will provide critical stimulation for anyone with an interest in the history of geographical thought, alongside those concerned with the relationships between academia and those apparently 'beyond the academy'...

Contributors: Paul Cloke, Jessica Dempsey, Duncan Fuller, Melissa Gilbert,
Keith Halfacree, Teresa Hoskyns, Rob Kitchin, Michele Masucci, Larch Juckes Maxey, Don Mitchell, Pamela Moss, Paul Routledge, James K. Rowe, David Sibley, Chris Wilbert, Robert D. Wilton, Perla Zusman

Table of Contents
 http://www.praxis-epress.org/rtcp/contents.html

1. Radical Theory/Critical Praxis: Academic Geography Beyond the Academy?
Duncan Fuller and Rob Kitchin

2. Radical Scholarship: A Polemic on Making a Difference Outside the Academy
Don Mitchell


3. Why Poststructuralism is a Live Wire for the Left
Jessica Dempsey and James K. Rowe

4. On Being Disengaged
David Sibley

5. 'Say Something Constructive or Say Nothing at All': Being Relevant and Irrelevant in and Beyond the Academy Today
Chris Wilbert and Teresa Hoskyns

6. 'I Could Only do Wrong': Academic Research and DIY Culture
Keith Halfacree

7. Relational Ethics of Struggle
Paul Routledge

8. Exploring Boundaries of Professional/Personal Practice and Action: Being and Becoming in Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town
Paul Cloke

9. A 'Politics of Local Politics': Praxis in Places that Matter
Pamela Moss

10. Keeping Your Distance: Balancing Political Engagement and Scientific Autonomy with a Psychiatric Consumer/Survivor Group
Robert Wilton

11. Activism as a Collective Cultural Praxis: Challenging the Barcelona Urban Model
Perla Zusman

12. Feminist Praxis in University Community Partnerships: Reflections on Ethical Crises and Turning Points in Temple-North Philadelphia IT Partnerships
Melissa Gilbert and Michele Masucci

13. Moving Beyond from Within: Reflexive Activism and Critical Geographies
Larch Juckes Maxey